Boosterism in Tourism Planning - Essay Example

Boosterism in Tourism Planning Boosterism is still an essential feature of tourism planning because it ensures thata large number of places which would not have been recognized get a chance to be toured. In the modern world, tourism has become one of the most desired activity by many individuals and it is for this reason that boosterism can be used as an effective means of developing the tourism industry (Simmons, 1994). Boosterism enables the development of a positive opinion concerning a location which is intended to attract tourist and it also allows for the creation of a reputation which is not only good for the local population, but also to ensure that any negative reports concerning a destination are overcome. In most cases, boosterism is often considered a negative aspect of tourism promotion because not all information that is given concerning various destinations may necessarily turn out to be true. Despite this being the case, it is necessary to use it to attract potential tourists because the latter often want to see life or places, which are different from their own. Therefore, while boosterism is sometimes seen in a negative light, it is an essential part of tourism planning because it brings previously obscure areas into the limelight. One of the biggest concerns of tourists before they visit any country is often political stability and this is because of their need to guarantee their personal safety. In the modern world, with the likelihood in the incidents of terrorist activities, many potential tourists have become discouraged from visiting certain parts of the world. It is for this reason that some countries, especially those likely to be affected, have come to adopt boosterism to make sure that they remain attractive destinations for tourists. Furthermore, this type of promotion makes possible the development of effective planning to ensure that the security of tourists is guaranteed under all circumstances (Dredge and Jenkins, 2006, 29). Therefore, using boosterism, countries are able to create an image of themselves where their political situation is perceived as being among the most stable in the world and it is for this reason that they come to be considered as interesting places for tourists to visit. Furthermore, there has been a recognition that many individuals tend to avoid those countries whose democratic credentials are questionable because they believe that to visit those countries would be to indirectly support their autocratic governments (Burns, 1999). Because of such perceptions, most governments, especially those that have a questionable reputation for democracy have adopted boosterism as a means of promoting their tourism industry. Among the attributes that they tend to emphasize is that they are extremely peaceful and secure countries which can guarantees the safety as well as wonderful experiences of those tourists who visit. They often further emphasize that the stability of government has enabled the development of an efficient security apparatus in all the major tourism destinations within them, whose main task is to ensure that all the tourists visiting them are kept safe from criminals (Sautter and Leisen, 1999). This type of promotion has ensures that even the most authoritarian states in the world continue to have a constant flow of tourists who enhance the tourism industry hence economic development. Boosterism allows less known tourist destinations to promote themselves in such a way that they are able to gain the attention of potential tourists. Among the most used attracting features using this means of promotion is through enhancing the significance of historical sites, the latter which tend to be highly interesting for a significant number of people. For example, the city of York in England tends to promote historical settlements in its vicinity such as the remains of Roman settlements as well as those of the Angles, Danes, and later the Normans who constructed a wide range of castles and defensive buildings during their rule (Ward, 2003). Because of the rigorous use of boosterism as a means of promoting its tourism destinations, it has made York one of the ideal places to visit not only in England, but also in the world; especially for those individuals with an Anglo-Saxon heritage. The use of boosterism in the promotion of historical sites makes it possible for lesser-known destination to gain more visitors and this ensures that the populations of the areas being visited become beneficiaries of the local tourism industry (Bramwell and Sharman, 1999). Furthermore, to enhance the promotional authenticity of such sites through boosterism, there is always a possibility of enhanced funding by local governments to ensure that these sites are kept in proper conditions so that they are not in any way damaged by the elements (Dredge and Moore, 1992). Through boosterism, lesser-known tourist destinations have an opportunity to not only be recognized, but also preserved so that future generations can be able to view and appreciate them. Boosterism tends to have a positive effect on the development of the service industries of the areas being promoted because it allows their development to cater for different needs. Among the most fundamental aspects that make sure that boosterism have some form of authenticity is through the development of a credible service industry because it is the latter which not only caters for tourists, but also make it possible for the destination to have a good reputation (Badam 2009, p.47). Most of the tourism destinations, which employ the use of boosterism, such as small towns or remote regions, tend to have such a highly developed service industry that employs a large part of their population. Furthermore, boosterism makes it possible for the enhancement of the reputation of different destinations to such an extent that there is a constant stream of tourists and this ensures that almost its entire population is in one way or the other involved in the tourism industry. This situation not only allows for making the destination more attractive for visitors, but it also gives tourists the confidence of visiting it, sometimes on numerous occasions, because in their previous visits, they often received the best services (Gill and Williams, 1994). In this way, boosterism helps in the development of the service industry which ensures that whenever anyone visits the place which is being promoted, he or she is able to have a good time through not only visiting the tourist attractions but also by having people available to get them whatever they desire. There are instances where tourists are very attracted by the culture of the places that they intend to visit and the use of boosterism makes destinations even more attractive for potential visitors. The cultural values that are found in all aspects of life in tourist destinations are among the most attractive aspects for those tourists who visit these places because they allow tourists to become immersed in cultures which are different from their own. Using boosterism, the knowledge concerning the cultures of tourist destinations is greatly enhanced because the means of how to apply cultural values have their origins in the human imagination. This aspect is most prevalent in such areas because any form of cultural practice can be packaged in such a manner that it is promoted as a unique aspect of the local culture of a tourist destination (Murphy, 1988). For example, the culture that makes York such a unique place to visit include its theatre, The Theatre Royal, the music played  by the Academy of St Olave’s and finally, the Festival of Food and Drink, which have kept tourists coming for years (Cornillie, 2006). Therefore, the use of boosterism has a positive effects through the development and promotion of a unique culture whose knowledge can be transmitted to future generations through taking the necessary steps towards creating it and putting them into use. It is the cultural values that have been developed and promoted in tourism destinations through boosterism, which have enabled the tourist market in these places to flourish, and it is expected to continue to do so for years to come. Many tourist destinations in the world today have come to develop technologies which are unique to them to ensure that visitors are as comfortable as possible throughout their stay. While this may be the case, there are often instances where there is little incentive to develop or adopt technologies which are aimed at helping tourists during their visits because some destinations, despite having a lot of potential, do not often get many visitors (Lu and Lu, 2004). However, using boosterism to promote themselves, these places get the incentive to not only adopt tourist-friendly technologies, but also to improve their infrastructure to make it possible to handle an influx of tourists (Cornillie, 2006). One would state that among the technological innovations that might develop and have a direct effect on tourism and its related industries such as the hotel industry is the development of faster means of transport, which will enable tourists to come and go as they please. In addition, the development of better GPS systems might directly affect the work of tour guides because their work will be obsolete. There has been some speculation that these innovations are likely to disrupt the market structure of tourism in various destinations and this might likely have an adverse effect on their economy (Getz, 1986). However through the use of boosterism, it is possible for there to be a merger between traditional means of conducting tours and the use of modern technologies to enhance the experiences of tourists and make it tourism destinations more attractive for potential visitors. As a result of an increasing concern for the environment, boosterism can be included in tourism planning because it ensures that the various policies which are often introduced in tourist destinations and which focus mainly on the increase of biodiversity receive wide publicity (Dowling, 1993). In this way, it is possible for tourists to become attracted to those areas that show consciousness towards the environment without the fear of increasing their carbon footprint. Using boosterism, potential tourists are shown the various means that prospective destinations have adopted to deal with the changing climate, the improvement of the quality of air, as well as the enhancement made on methods used to dispose waste within them. Through vigorous promotion of tourism destinations from an environmental perspective, tourists are helped to make decisions to visit places based on the latter’s zeal in combating climate change as well as the effort to deal with the problem of global warming (Minger, 1991, pp.66). Using boosterism, it is possible to attract tourists through the promotion of policies, which are aimed at reducing the risk of disruption in the tourism industry in different places on the planet, and assure potential tourists that the industry is not a significant contributor of any damage to the environment. The tourism business is one of the most developed in the world having been in existence for centuries, and while this has been the case, there have recently developed the need to ensure the lone term survival of this industry as well as strategies for loss prevention. It is mainly for this reason that many places of destination have taken conscious steps in the development of boosterism as a strategy in attracting more tourists. In this era where there has been an increase in incidents of terrorism, many countries that rely on this industry have taken an active step in ensuring that they hire advertisement agencies in a bid to enhance their status. The ability of these countries to provide the necessary funding to guarantee their security has enabled tourists to gain confidence in them and this has provided the tourism industry with the opportunity to continue their operations normally. The use of boosterism has also been put into practice in the tourism industry as a means of loss prevention since they promote services provided for tourists in lodging premises as well as in the places where they will likely visit. Through boosterism, tourists become attracted to the type of tour services that is promoted. This is done in such a manner that it allows for the development of the most attentive services for the tourists while at the same time enhancing the good experience that they might have during their stay. References Badam, B.S. (2009). Tourism Planning & Development. New Delhi: Commonwealth Publishers. Bramwell, B. and Sharman, A. (1999) ‘Collaboration in local tourism policy-making’, Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2), pp.392-415. Burns, P (1999) ‘Paradoxes in planning tourism elitism or brutalism?’ Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2), pp.329-48. Cornillie, T.C. 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